


it's a shame i'm a dream

by orphan_account



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Niall's like ed sheeran, and harry goes to uni, and they're in america but not american, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-18
Updated: 2014-06-18
Packaged: 2018-02-05 04:50:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1805914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry was the type of beautiful that belonged in magazines, the type of beauty that everybody should see. But Niall didn’t mind being the only one witnessing it at the moment. </p>
<p>Niall’s an Ed Sheeran-esque singer and Harry is the lovely boy he meets at a venue, they hit it off.</p>
            </blockquote>





	it's a shame i'm a dream

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! You may have read this on my tumblr you may have not but I hope you like it either way. :)

Niall’d never been to Holmes Chapel but he liked what he saw of it especially in the dead of winter when the slushy ice and the endless amounts of lights made the place look like something straight out of a home movie he’d watched as a boy. He had his guitar balanced on his lap, playing a few chords that sounded a bit good once he paired lyrics with them.

The bus was quiet save for the humming of his driver, Miles way up front. Usually Zayn, Liam, and Niall would be wiling out as Niall’s manager Anna scolded them for being so damn loud even if she didn’t really mind but Zayn and Liam were sleeping in their bunks and Anna had decided she’d drive herself to the next venue.

Sometimes Niall couldn’t believe this was his life, ya know like it was some kind of weird dream that he’d wake up from only to find himself sitting in a boring lecture in uni about music. He never understood those classes, why talk about music when you could be playing it?

He really was just a boy straight out of Ireland who played guitar and sang every now and again but then some big shot guy in an Armani suit had flicked his card at Niall and said, “gimme a call if you wanna get serious about this.”

So Niall called him and then he took off, blowing through towns with his boy next door smile, his bleached blonde hair, and his guitar like a proper star and wowing the pants off every major record label ever. He was signed quickly, the EP came out and then the album and then his manager started talking about concert tours but Niall didn’t want that.

Niall loved music but he’d never liked concerts, never liked how the person next to him was so loud that he couldn’t hear shit from up front, didn’t like the bobbing heads and the sweaty bodies no he wanted peace.

He made music so people could hear it not to yell over it. So they agreed on small venues where he’d play for a crowd say of fifteen and to Niall it was much more personal that way… more intimate he didn’t really know how to explain the feeling of his guitar on his lap, his words falling from his lips, and the looks of people who actually cared for what he did looking at him as if they wanted to commit him to memory.

Niall would never get over how awesome his job was.

—

The lounge he was playing at that night was secluded and small right on the outskirts of the town and when Niall stepped out of the bus, Zayn and Liam hand and hand trailing behind him he grinned,

“Look at this, boys, great innit?”

“You literally have the same reaction every single time.” Zayn deadpanned, wrapping his arms around himself as snowflakes fell on his beanie.

“’Cuz I feel the same every single time!” Eye rolls from the couple and Niall huffed as Anna pulled up behind them, stepping out of the car looking highly offended by the amount of snow. Niall wanted to tell her to cheer up Christmas would be in a couple days but knowing Anna she wouldn’t appreciate it.

“Why the hell are you all standing out here, get inside.” She hissed Boston accent coming out thick and angry as she pushed past them.

“Wow Anna, don’t go any slower.” Liam said sarcastically and Niall laughed as Anna ignored them.

The lounge was already prepped when they got in, the stage Niall was going to be performing in was small and closer to the audience and the lights were dimmed to give a more personal more real ambience. The chairs were organized in a U shape and there was a bar in the back where a girl with black hair was already mixing drinks, not even looking towards them.

“You’ve got an hour to settle in before the show.” Anna said pulling him from his awe, “you should probably start setting up.”

“Setting up? I’ve got all I need right here!” Niall said gesturing to himself and his guitar case.

“When your voice cracks in the middle of your song don’t come crying to me.” Anna sniped and Zayn and Liam snickered at Niall’s offended look.

—

Niall was sitting on the stage cross legged and talking to some fans after his show. That was probably his favorite part of the whole thing that people actually liked what he did so much that they paid money for it.

It sometimes made Niall feel self-conscious like he wasn’t meeting up to their standards but then he’d see a wide smile in the crowd or he’d read a fan letter saying ‘you saved my life’ and he felt… so freakin’ humbled and overjoyed that some words that he’d written in his bedroom around sixteen or in his penthouse around eighteen were enough to help someone through something so heart wrenching.

Niall was listening to one of the fans, Shannon talk about her favorite song that he had written when his eyes zeroed in on the boy behind her and he stopped breathing. The boy had curly hair, earphones in, and legs trapped in tight skinny jeans that went on for miles. Niall didn’t even realize he was staring till the girls began to giggle and he blushed.

“Uh sorry, what were you saying?” He asked feeling a little guilty for zoning out like that but now that he knew the boy was in the room he was too hyperaware. He could feel the soft hairs on his arms standing up and he was trying his hardest not to stare. The girls laughed and they eventually had to go, thanking him immensely for the show leaving Niall sitting there and the boy cleaning the floor and the bartender cleaning up at the bar.

The boy suddenly looked up at him and pulled his earphones out and he gave Niall a shy dimpled smile that had Niall flailing inwardly, “this may sound odd and you probably get this a lot but uh… I’m a big fan.”

“Not odd at all… why weren’t you at the show?” Niall asked not wanting to stop talking to the boy. It was obvious he had a job to do and Niall had to get to the bus soon to get to their next destination but Niall was metal and the boy was a magnet.

“Couldn’t afford it.”

Niall didn’t know why he felt so bad hearing that but he found himself blurting, “I could help you out with some tickets to our next show.”

The boy blushed a lovely pink that overtook his whole face and he shook his head, “no it’s fine. I’m uh Harry by the way.” He had stepped closer now and he brought his hand out for Niall to shake and Niall took it. Harry had lovely hands, big with long fingers and Niall didn’t have small hands but compared to Harry’s they were a little dwarfed.

Niall wouldn’t mind holding his hand the whole day and he didn’t realize he was actually doing that till he looked up and found another blush taking over Harry’s cheeks and a small smile.

“Sorry.” Niall said not wanting Harry to think him weird,

“No you’re fine.”

“Do you live here?” Niall asked words tumbling out of his lips without warning. Harry smiled a little cheeky this time,

“I certainly do not live in this lounge.” Niall didn’t know why he was so endeared by that but he grinned and shook his head, looking down at his lap because he was going to keep staring and then he’d get lost tracing the little constellation like moles on Harry’s skin.

“No I mean like Holmes Chapel.”

“Yes but I’m only here for winter break. I go to uni up in the states.”

“Really? Where?”

“The states.” Harry said again looking a bit perplexed and Niall shook his head,

“No like what state?”

“Oh! Sorry, I’m a bit dumb,” Harry said but before he could continue Niall said,

“You’re not dumb, don’t say that.”

Niall watched as Harry covered his burning cheeks as he nodded, “okay and uhm I go to uni up in Los Angeles. Studying business.”

“They’re studying business I study the floor.” Niall sang not knowing why.

“And you haven’t stopped smoking all night.” Harry added smiling all white teeth and endless endless beauty. Harry was the type of beautiful that belonged in magazines, the type of beauty that everybody should see. But Niall didn’t mind being the only one witnessing it at the moment.

“You don’t seem like a business major.” Niall finally said after his thoughts had quieted down and they’d both stopped grinning like mad.

“What do I seem like then?” Harry asked softly in sort of a whisper. It was just them in the room, the bartender had long gone home but Niall still didn’t want to talk loud didn’t want to ruin whatever spell had just fallen over them both. Niall was mesmerized with a boy he’d met mere minutes ago, it was crazy like something out of some damn fairytale and he was glad Liam nor Zayn were there to witness it because they wouldn’t let him live it down.

“I don’t know, can’t see you sitting in a classroom learning about entrepreneurship and all that… stuff.”

“But you don’t even know me.” Harry said and it was not mean just curious. Niall shrugged,

“I’m good at reading people.” Harry didn’t even get the chance to reply because Anna stormed in looking pissed at him for still being in the freakin place she didn’t even acknowledge Harry,

“Let’s go, sunshine we ain’t got all freakin’ day.” She was tapping her watch in exasperation and then she was storming out muttering something about ‘stupid pop stars and their disregard for time’. Niall looked over at Harry who was staring at him wide eyed and Niall was well aware that the moment was broken that this was it and eventually Harry was going to become a pretty face that Niall had met that one time in that one place that he couldn’t remember the name of.

But he did not want that.

“Here.” Niall said pulling his pen from the back pocket of his jeans and seizing Harry’s hand which was sweaty so he ended up writing his number on Harry’s arm in his shitty handwriting. “Uhm call me sometime.”

He heard the blaring of the bus horn and he huffed and grabbed his guitar case, “Bye, Harry!” He said looking at the boy one last time before he was rushing out the door.

“What in the world took you so bloody long?” Liam asked him when he dived into the bus and he shrugged, face red as he thought of Harry’s face,

“Nothing.”

—

_Three Weeks Later_

Niall was walking his dog Kit down Sunset and Vine, the winter chill napping at his exposed skin when his eyes landed on the last person he even halfway expected to see at a street like this. Harry in his ripped skinny jeans, beanie and a jacket that looked like it was doing very little to protect him from the cold.

He was leaned against a wall with a phone pressed to his ear and his lips in a thin line and Niall was so out of his limit. Harry looked like a star, like he had personally crashed down to Earth all light and dust particles just to make Niall’s life hell or heaven depending on which lens you were looking through.

Ever since Niall had seen Harry those few weeks back in Holmes Chapel he hadn’t heard from him or anything, no phone call or text like he’d expected and he had accepted that he would never see Harry again. It was LA what were the odds? But it was also the city of angels so maybe God decided to grant him a miracle.

Kit started barking probably perturbed by Niall’s sudden stop and Harry looked up and when he saw Niall his eyes visibly widened. Niall looked away didn’t know why he was trying to hide himself… he suddenly felt embarrassed. How pathetic of him to be staring at Harry like this.

He made to walk in the other direction felt way out of his limit when Harry began to walk towards him all long legs and determination so he stopped and waited.

“I’m sorry.” Harry blurted sounding less shy then he had three weeks ago but still very much the boy he’d met.

“For what?”

“Not uh… texting or calling.”

Niall laughed to show Harry that it wasn’t a big deal that they didn’t even know each other like that so Harry wasn’t obligated to call Niall, “don’t worry about it.”

“I mean I wanted to,” Harry continued as if he hadn’t heard a word Niall said, “but things just got hectic and you know… school.”

“It’s fine you’re fine. Even Kit is fine.” Niall said bending down to pet his dog so he wouldn’t have to keep looking at Harry’s apologetic face and large green eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“My mate Louis set me up on this blind date, said I was supposed to meet the guy here,” Niall ignored the way his heart sped up on the word ‘guy’ he wasn’t fifteen again and figuring out he liked boys he was a twenty two year old man, “but he never showed.”

“Who would stand you up?” Niall asked softly looking up at Harry’s face and his bashful look and his small shrug. “Well… I know this little bistro around the corner and you owe me for never texting.”

Harry laughed and rubbed the back of his neck, “If you’re alright with it.”

“Why would I ask if I wasn’t alright with it?”

—

His name was Harry Styles and he was from Holmes Chapel, he didn’t like coffee that was not from Starbucks, he was twenty one turning twenty two in a few days, he had a sister, he wanted to be a writer but was told it was impractical so he went for business to make his mom happy, and he’d always liked LA.

They walked side by side to Niall’s car with Kit tugging Niall up ahead and Niall’s whole right side was burning up with the feel of Harry’s body next to it. During their ‘date’ if he could call it down he’d had a few fans come up to him but other than that it was interruption free. He liked that when Harry got on a roll with a topic he couldn’t stop talking, he liked watching his lips move.

He’d be lying if he said he’d only have innocent thoughts about Harry’s lips but they were beautiful lips so fuck off.

“This was fun.” Harry said once they reached the car. Niall smiled,

“Yeah I know. I want to do it again.” He didn’t know where the sudden burst of confidence came from but he didn’t mind it.

“Me too. Can I give you my number this time?”  Harry asked and Niall nodded,

“I’ll be sure to call or text or whatever you’re up to.”

“I’m really sorry about you know… not calling. It was rude.”

“No it wasn’t. I’m not mad.”

“Okay.” Harry said and Niall handed him his phone so Harry could input his number.

“Hopefully we can see each other again.” Niall said and Harry looked up at him from his lashes and nodded,

“Hopefully.” And then he was pressing a soft kiss to Niall’s cheek and Niall wanted to grab him by the waist and give him a proper kiss but he wasn’t going to push it. And he had the feeling in his chest that this was not the last he’d be seeing of Harry so he let it happen and then touched his cheek and grinned.

“Bye, Harry.”

“Bye, Niall.”

—

_Two Weeks Later_

“Who’s Harry?” Zayn asked him a few weeks later. He and Liam were at Niall’s penthouse and it was obvious Zayn was going through his phone. Niall walked out of the kitchen and raised an eyebrow at Zayn with Niall’s phone in his hand,

“Hey gimme my phone.” Niall said stepping forward and making grabby hands at it but Liam was quick to step in front of Zayn as if Zayn was some damsel in distress and Liam was going to protect him. Niall rolled his eyes.

“Tell me us who Harry is first.” Liam said and Zayn nodded from behind him looking too fond of his boyfriend being his own personal human shield.

“A boy.”

“A boy who you send kissy faces? ‘Ha-ha Harry, you’re so funny. Winky face’.” Zayn read in strict monotone and Niall rolled his eyes,

“He’s a friend.”

“Ni, tell us c’mon!”

Niall rolled his eyes. Zayn wasn’t nosy but when he wanted to it was hard to stop him, that boy could go on and on forever. Maybe that’s why Liam liked him. Niall laughed at his own joke inwardly causing Zayn to hit him with a throw pillow.

“Tell us!”

“Yeah Niall, tell us!” Liam added.

“Oh jeez. I met him in Holmes Chapel and we started talking and his name is Harry Styles.”

“By talking do you mean like talking?” Liam began,

“Or  _talking_  talking?” Zayn finished.

“I don’t know!”

“Is he cute?”

So freakin cute Niall wanted to say. Since their impromptu date at the bistro they’d met up at little coffee shops and restaurants around town, especially more private ones that wouldn’t get Harry’s face splashed on the front page. Whether Niall was a more private celebrity or not he was still a celebrity and paparazzi still lurked places he’d least expect them to.

Harry blushed a lot and he liked playing footsie with Niall under the table and he had this odd liking to cubed fruit and he showed Niall his tattoos some ridiculous and some endearing.

“Wait till you see the butterfly on my stomach.” Harry had said in one of those rare moments where he flirted with Niall and Niall had laughed even though he wanted to see it like right then.

“Is he cute?” Liam repeated when Niall zoned out and Niall blinked then shrugged,

“Yeah I guess.”

—

_3 weeks_

“Oh my goodness, Ni he is super-duper cute!” Zayn said when Harry and Niall walked into club Wash right in the middle of Sunset and Vine. Zayn and Liam had been dying to meet Niall’s new ‘boyfriend’ even if they weren’t dating. Sure Niall had kissed Harry that one time in his car when it was raining so much there was no point of Harry getting out of the car but like they weren’t dating or whatever. Not exclusively at least.

It’d been pretty dark out and Harry had looked so lovely and soft with his hair product-less and in a white cotton t-shirt and shorts because they had decided to work out together. Niall couldn’t help himself, it was a simple kiss that only lasted for a few seconds but jeez he wouldn’t have minded sharing a dozen with Harry who smiled like sunshine and talked to Niall in words that made him want to write.

They had shared a few more kisses after that one but Niall didn’t want to push or pull, he didn’t want to give too much or give too little and he didn’t want to risk ruining this thing between them. He liked the wobbly stage of a budding relationship/friendship the awkwardness but sometimes he wanted to fuck it all, wanted to pull Harry onto his laps and kiss him like he wanted and mark him like he wanted.

It was too soon yet he was falling oh so fast.

“Super-duper? That’s one I’ve never heard before.” Harry said grinning and hugging Zayn softly who was grinning at Niall like mad. Liam and Harry also exchanged hugs, all four of them were in the V.I.P lounge away from all the madness of a loud club and Harry looked down at his phone.

“Louis is supposed to be here already. I really want you to meet him.” Harry’d been talking to Niall about his best friend Louis since like forever and he was sure they would hit it off. Harry eventually sat down and Zayn jumped right into interrogation,

“How long have you known Niall?”

“Uhm like personally?” Harry asked looking a bit taken aback by the question and Zayn nodded, “well since that night in Holmes Chapel.”

“Which one was that?” Liam asked Niall trying to figure it out,

“It was the one when Niall spent forever coming out. Jeez, Li keep up.” Zayn teased patting his boyfriend’s leg.

“Spent forever coming out, story of my high school life.” Liam said and Zayn laughed even though it wasn’t funny.

“You’re distracting me.”

“I see Louis!” Harry called standing up and waving to someone. Niall had no idea who he was but it seemed like Harry knew what he was doing so he didn’t say anything and he liked the view of Harry’s butt anyway. It wasn’t huge but it was there and Niall wanted to touch it.

“Perv.” Zayn snickered into his drink catching Niall.

Louis was small with feathery brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He shook Niall’s hand studying him up and down hard until Harry told him to stop.

After a few conversations and all five of them downing drinks Niall realized that Louis was really cool and sarcastic but not as cool as Harry who kept smiling at both of them adamant on them becoming friends. Niall knew it was liquid courage that caused him to pull Harry down to his lap and kiss him but he didn’t mind the way Harry kissed back enthusiastically tasting of The White Russian he’d been sipping on.

Some poppy dub step beat was playing in the background but Niall couldn’t hear anything besides the sounds of both their hearts, beating loudly and zealously.

—

_2 weeks later_

“Be my boyfriend?” Niall asked two weeks later, Harry was straddling him and reading to him a passage from this poetry book he had found. Niall couldn’t stop staring at the purple hickey on Harry’s neck and the small freckles dotting his skin. Niall thought about how his lyrics nowadays were sounding more about Harry than anything else, that this small town boy with a love for writing but was studying business for Christ sakes had taken his heart and ran away with it.

Niall didn’t mind though, he would’ve probably ripped his heart out anyway if Harry asked him to. It was a scary thought but it was so real that he didn’t want to think of not being without Harry. He didn’t care if he was dumb and kind of stupid when it came to things like this, things like love and relationships but god Harry could be stupid with him.

“Jesus fuck, I thought you’d never ask.” Harry finally said setting the book down and swooping in for a kiss, their skin on fire.

—

_1 month later_

“So you have a boyfriend?” The interviewer, Emily asked him with a small smile on her face. A picture of Niall and Harry walking out of Niall’s condo together was flashed up so that everybody could see. Niall smiled and imagined Harry watching this at the quad at UCLA probably with Louis and he said,

“Yeah. He’s the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”

—

_6 months later_

When Niall walked into the condo Harry was sitting criss-cross on his floor with Kit in his lap and his books strewn around him. Classes had just started up again and Niall knew how stressed Harry was and Niall didn’t know what came over him when he saw Harry like that, brown curls falling across his face and hands moving furiously and Niall’s sweater on him but it made Niall’s heart swell.

Niall smiled at him and Harry looked up confused as to why Niall was still standing at the door.

“Hey, babe.” Niall said softly and Harry said,

“Hey.”

“I love you.” Harry blinked and then he pulled Kit off his lap slowly then said,

“Well come on over here and show me how much you love me.”

Twenty minutes later when they were both sated and cuddled up on the floor Harry said, “And I love you too by the way. So so much.” 

**Author's Note:**

> [Personal Blog](http://talklovelytome.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Writing Blog](http://my-hummingbirdheart.tumblr.com/)


End file.
